BVA students fear strike could cancel musical

By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother has basically two important tasks to handle — she’s in charge of transportation to the ball and the dress.
But if the Belle Vernon Area High School kids who have poured their heart and soul into preparing the musical “Cinderella” for its March 19 debut could get her help — they’d have a much bigger request in mind.
BVA teachers continue to work without a contract and a planned negotiation session last week was canceled, which led to the teachers’ union naming March 13 as a potential strike date if a contract is not in place. There is no plan to return to the bargaining table until March 11.
If the teachers strike and if that strike continues through the musical weekend — March 19, 20, 21 and 22 — “Cinderella” will not go to the ball and the kids who have been working on this production since summer will, in their words, be devastated.
Senior Gianna Lorenzo said the copyright for the musical was paid for last summer and the contract is for the specific dates the musical is planned.
If a strike happens and the teachers who lead the production are unable to participate, there is no way to simply postpone the production, Gianna said.
“It’s two groups of adults that can’t negotiate and come to a conclusion and that backfires on us,” said senior Danny Truong. “We have no say in this. They’re the ones who can’t agree and the kids are the ones who have to suffer from their actions.”
The musical as an organization rents costumes and backdrops, microphones and other equipment, and — specifically this year — the show is renting flight equipment that will enable Gianna as the Fairy Godmother (known as Crazy Marie in this version) to fly. All of these rentals have been paid in advance and Gianna said most of the deliveries of these items are set to arrive on March 13 — the day the strike would begin if it happens.
A non-union, non-teacher volunteer could potentially help accept deliveries of these items the students said but that would involve crossing picket lines and they don’t want someone to be put in that position.

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Thursday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.